Automatic air bleeder for pumping unit



Jan. 8, 1957 w. P. FAGAN 2,775,630

AUTOMATIC AIR BLEEDEIR FOR PUMPING UNIT Filed April 2., 1954 2 Sheeis-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WZZz'amZFagaW ji /A ATTORNEY Jan. 8, 1957 w.. P. FAGAN AUTOMATIC AIR BLEEDER FOR PUMPING UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 2. 1954 R m H U W. a .9 NW rm f 1 P. 1 4 m A h f 9 5 .2 Aw W l: TM. N m 7 i m 6 74 5 4M 4 3 w A A \h v L Y so a 73 8 B Z A 5 6 1 a W a I I n. 1 4 r 0 0O: 3 0 2; 4 3 3 m FE ATTORNEY United States Patent AAUTOMATIOAIRZBLEEDERIGR PUMPING. UNIT WiIIiamiPJLFagau, TivolLLTex.

i ApblicationiAp'ril 2;1954, Serial'No; 420,718

7 Claims. (Cl.103q20;3)

e'llhis; invention relatesto automatic air bleeding-means .Ziort rotary :pumpseand patrticularly for 1 such pumps when eusecl ins'conjunctiona-withrthe .ipipe alines ,in oil field gatheraingt'systems.

lint-toil producingiareas-ii'the oil trom n1ore or less-nu- -.zmerous:wells.is deposited in-Ifield storage-tanks which-are .asoattered'loven a largaareagandtwhich are: connected'by a system of pipe lines to a.pumping -station whiclr'collects the oil from the several field tanks and delivers the same to:;a;collectingt tanktratza refinery 101T .to a distant-shipping .npoint. vlnt practiee onesofs the 'fieldx =tanksl is-connected ;-ito:the;pumping; station until emptied; after which another .tanlQis cutzin. t Oftenitheelinefrom the tank fromwhich iitherz'oil irisz zpumped ifilS nof considerable length, and after 2. a;tankilhastbeensvemptied .andnbefore another tank -iscut in, auquantityiofisair. ior/land =gas,. isdrawn into the system zzoausingtthmpump ;to become; aimlocked.

wA .Jchecko vialveaisgprovided. in: ;the delivery line, preferably. adjaeeutithespump, which valve is of suflicient resist- ;sanceitol :be .openedion-lyr by the oil pressure built-up in the ,;pump, ,:and=;.will,zatherefore,azprevent the aceumula-ted air .from: entering wthe :delivery :line. tSuch accumulation of air, .as above; described, requires: air-bleeding of the pump iaudatherl; air-.filledelinquwhich is. at-present accomplished y means .of'iharidaoperaedvalves, and eonsumes much valuable time.

;-The xohiectnofathea present inventionyis to' provide in combination with a'lrotaryipumw means for automatically 1 bleeding. ;they {aim accumulation icfrom i said pump; whereby .i said pump :zmay nbe neither constantly or tintermit-tently .tactuated-withoutzdanger; ofithe: pump: becoming air-locked.

:A. further-rand particular tobjectxof thef=invention is to provide inuansoil; pumping .csystem ofathe type --mentioned, ani automatic. bleedenswhich-c :will; maintain the system -in operative GOHdl'ElOH-LSOKJIhat tthexsetveralt pipe lines leading .tfirom distantttanksnto athe CPUII'IPJ inletv line, 1 may i be cut into the pump, dine 3: when :Jtiesired vwithoutqequiring 1 specialiattention to. preventtai-r-locking of the system.

:A :furthereobject 13f the invention iis to I provide an automatic z-air bleederyaszimentioned t which :may readily .be installed .in any:'p.urpping .1system as :abovedescribed, 'which is ioperatedabyya rotarypump of either the gear' or .vane type.

Other objectswilhappeanzhereinafiter.

.With the above objectsjtinwview, the invention consists .,generally in; a ;piperl'ine,eande2ur0tary. pump interposed in said line, in combination wi'thiai bleeder tank, a pressure line from the discharge-endof. saidpump to the upper ,.portion of said,tank,;a;suc.tion line leading from-adjacent .rtheulower portioni of-nsaid tank tothe inlet end-of s'aid pump, atgatetvalve inusaidupressure ll11C,;aIld' a similar .VBlVCLiH said SUCllODg'llHE whereby saidvalves =may-be adjusted to maintain ;;the desired 'yhead -f-oi1 --in said tank .whileesaidl-ipump is :in operation.

'Theinventionrfurther consists-tin the eombinationas .above stated .inrw hich .said .tank is air-and Oihtightpan 1 air ventw-lineuleading from :the iupper-end of said tank, "and a. float controlledeair yalveeactuated byztheevarying -':head-- of: oil in i said =tank for controlling the inner end of said vent line.

I The invention further consists in various details of construction. anduarrangements -ofeparts as will-be fully i described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention Will be more readily understood .by-referenee to the accompanying-drawings forming apart of this specification and in. which:

Fig. .1 isra diagrammatic plan view of the. pumping station of'an oil pumping'system-equippedwith air -bleeder means embodying the. invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevationof the same;

.Fig. 3 is: a detail sectional views of a screen which is in- ..terposed in .the feed :line tto ithe: pump;

Fig. $4 isiia-q detail =elevation,- partly in section, -of a pump.of theztypeipreferably used in the system, and including lthBlIIl'lZlIl: inlet and outlet orzdischarge pipes connected ithereto;

Ejg. :5 :lS 1 asvertical section. 'of "the bleeder tank, illus- ..tratedupomanienlarged scale;

;-Fig.-:-6,is a similar section of. .aportion. of the upper ,.end of therbleejdenitank and'e'the air. vent. controlling valve ;ttherei-n illustrated;upon1a further. enlarged scale;

:Fig..:7 is;aihorizon tal;.sectiononzthe-line 7-'-7 of Fig.6, lupon an enlarged scale;

1,;Fig.i8 -is a:-:similaresectiont takenuon the line. 8W8v of bFigss-S. and;6;: and

E'Fig- 9tis..aibottomzendrview.:of the float guide.

Referringoto ,thexdrawiuggiandz particularly to Figs. 1

and 2, 10 indicates a rotary pump interposedin an-oil udelivery. line; ;leadingfifrom-ztherfield:.tanksz to. a refinery erial.shipping point, and 11:.a:.motor foridrivingtheisame. The. motor may-be ofnanv. desiredtype; but inasmuch as ,;the;location ,-of thei-pllmping station: is. usually remote y: from as source. ofreleotric supply,.; a natural gas .or 1 gaso- :line :engine. is, generally: employed.

The; rotaryupump e10. risgepreferably. of. the gear type as illustrated ing Eigi;A-,;-although itwi1lbe-obvious thatv other n ypes: wit-rotary mumps, may the used without departing :trom theipresentinvention. -As shown in the drawings, 1.41116 .-pump.-.10. comprises generally a. suitable. casing l3 and a. pair. of L intermeshing gear :type impellers i414,' fixed ..upo111.Sha-fts:;15-+15. yEixedly mounted :upon said; shafts,

.and;exteriQrly-rofzathe-zcasing113 are intermeshing gears 1616;: and one'ofisaid shafts 15:.extends to and isdriven .bye-theamotor 11. QSeetFigJZ. -.The.pump;casing-13-is -forrnedor provided With ianjinlfit. portion 17 t and. a similar discharge portion 18. An inletzsnpply; pipe.-..19,+leading 50,,from. the more: or less-remotes storage utankssabove referred to, :is. connected ltQ; theiI11eliPOIltlOI1i17 of; the pump -byranninterposedl-screenehousing 20. Connected totthe sdischargeportion 18 .of-lthe pumpgis,a :line,;discharge: pipe .21. in. which is interposedfa one-.way,check valve122. The valve. 22; may be r of anypreferred form; having; sufiicient resistance to remain closed except-when:oihispforcedinto vthe same under;..pressure :builtcupifromethe impellers 14.

"The rmotonand ;pun;1p; nnay be isupported-gupon :anysuitable .base, as, indicated ,at ,2 3.

Arranged.improximityitoithe pumpjmqis, ableeder. tank .25 which comprises;; generally; a j preferably ecylindrical ;bodyportion,:26, :zthewppenand ,lower ends of which .aretightly sealedwbyiaetoptplate 27,:and oarbottomwr base,,plate 28. '-.Thei.bleedert:tank. 25 is adapted-iiioshold 65.21 varying .amountof oile29twhile in operation, 3S'-.Wlll'b described hereinafter. ,Within .the tank,25,,-and preferably concentric therewith .is:..a..,tubular float guide mem ber '30 for upperv and lowen floats 31. and.3,2 respectively,

"which'floats are actuated by the variation. of..the..height of the oil'in, theta'nkZS. The upper end portioniifipf "the" guide member30 extends abovejthetop p1ate,2.7,..and

saidend-is-sealed'by'a-cap34. "The" lower erid'35 of the guide member terminates above the bottom 28 of the tank, and is provided with means, such as cross bars 36 to limit the downward movement of the lower float 32 when the level of the oil in the tank becomes low, as indicated at 28' in Fig. 5.

Extending from the upper portion of the discharge side 13 of the pump casing to the upper portion of the bleeder tank 25 is a pressure bleeder pipe line 37; and from adjacent the-lower end of the tank a suction pipe line 38 forms a communication with the inlet side 13' of the pump, preferably through the screen housing 20. See Fig. 3. A gate valve 39 is provided in the pressure line 37, and a similar gate valve 40 is provided in the suction line 38. By adjustment of the valves 39 and 40, when the device is in operation, the desired level of oil in the bleeder tank may be maintained.

From the upper portion 33 of the float guide 30 is an air vent pipe line 41 which discharges downwardly into a sump barrel 42, the major portion of said sump barrel being buried below the level of the surface Gr. of the ground, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Below the level of the top plate 27 of the bleeder tank, the guide member 39 is provided with apertures 43 affording free passageway for the air between the upper portion of the tank 25 and the interior of the guide 30. The escape of air from the upper portion 33 of the tubular guide 30 to the vent pipe 41 is governed by a float controlled valve 44 having a depending stem 44' which is fixedly secured to the upper float 31. See Fig. 6. It will be noted that the float 31 is thus suspended by the valve stem 44 when the level of the oil in the tank is lowered; and that the float 32 is not connected to either the float 31 or the valve stem, but serves as a booster for the float 31.

The valve 44 is arranged within a valve casing 45 fixed to, and depending from the adjacent end 41 of the vent pipe 41, which end extends downwardly through the cap 34. The casing 45 is formed with a transverse diaphragm 46 dividing the same into an upper check valve chamber 47 and a lower chamber 48 for the float controlled valve 44. The diaphragm 46 is provided with a port 49 extending between the chambers 47 and 48, and vent holes 50 extend through the wall of the easing into the lower valve chamber 48 as illustrated in Fig. 7, so that when the oil in the bleeder tank is sufficiently low to lower the valve 44 into the position shown in Fig. 6, the air vented from the pump casing into the bleeder tank may pass freely through the holes 50 and thence to the vent pipe 41 to sump 42. A ball check valve 51 seated in the upper portion of the diaphragm 46 permits the air to pass freely to vent pipe line 41 but will prevent any back flow.

Extending from the suction pipe 38 to the lower portion of the sump barrel 42 is a line 52 provided with a gate valve 53, said valve being normally maintained closed. When it becomes necessary to pump out the sump 42, the valve 53 is opened, and the oil in the sump is drawn off and discharged into the main line 19 through the screen housing 20.

The operation of the device is as follows. Assuming that the pump has previously emptied a distant tank and that the feeder line 19 and the pump casing 13 are comparatively dry and filled with suflicient air to air-lock the pump; the pump 10 is continuously actuated by the motor 11. Under such conditions the air in the line 19 and pump casing 13 will be forced through the pressure bleeder line 37 to the upper portion of the bleeder tank 25. At this time, oil in the tank 25 will be drawn off through the suction line 38, lowering the head of oil in the bleeder tank and lowering the floats 31 and 32, thereby opening the valve 44. The air being bled from the pump casing and line 19, to the bleeder tank 25, will pass through the holes 43 into the float guide 30, thence through the holes 50 in the valve casing 45, then past the check valve 51, and through the vent line 41 to the sump 42. In practice, the pressure bleeder pipe 37, and the air vent pipe 41 are preferably of comparatively small size, approximately one-quarter of an inch; whereas the suction pipe 38 is of larger diameter, about one inch being found efiicient. As the air is bled off, the oil will begin to flow, and the pump will pick up its prime and start pumping the oil. Oil will then be forced through the pressure bleeder line 37 and into the bleeder tank 25, which will cause the head of oil to rise in said tank until the floats 31 and 32 close the air vent valve. The gate valves 39 and 40 are adjusted so as to maintain the desired level of oil in the tank when the pump is operating at full capacity.

When air again enters the pump 13, air will be forced through the line 37, and oil will continue to be drawn off from tank 25, until the float actuated air valve 44 is opened, after which the air will be vented oil? as above described. During the pumping operation, the small amount of oil by-passed through the small pressure line 37, and the line 38, will not appreciably affect the volume discharge of the pump. The device above described will, therefore, maintain the system in operative condition Without the necessity of manually bleeding the system or of priming the pump.

I claim:

1. An oil pipe line, and a rotary pump including a pump casing interposed in said pipe line, in combination with a bleeder tank comprising a vertically disposed body portion, a top and a bottom closure for said body, a cylindrical float guide member arranged vertically in said tank and depending from said top closure, said guide member extending through and terminating above said top member, a cap closing the upper end of said guide member, a valve housing in the upper end of said guide member and having a valve chamber therein, a vent communicating with said valve chamber, said float guide being provided with air passageways arranged below said top closure, said valve housing having similar passageways communicating with said valve chamber, a float controlled valve in said chamber, and a float in said guide member connected to said valve.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by a check valve arranged between said float controlled valve and said vent.

3. An oil pipe line, and a rotary pump including a casing interposed in said line, in combination with a bleeder tank remote from said pump, said tank comprising a vertically disposed body portion, a top and a bottom closure for said tank, a vertically disposed tubular float guide member in said tank and depending from said top closure, said guide member extending through said top member, a cap closing the upper end of said guide member, a valve housing in the upper end of said guide member and having a valve chamber therein, a vent communicating with said chamber, said float guide being provided with air passageways arranged below said top closure, said valve housing having similar passageways communicating with said valve chamber, a float controlled valve in said chamber and provided with a depending stem, a float in said guide member depending from said stem and terminating above the normal level of oil in said tank, and a booster float in the lower portion of said guide member.

4. An oil pipe line of the type described, and a rotary pump including a casing interposed in said line, in com bination with a bleeder tank comprising a vertically disposed body portion provided with a top closure and a bottom closure, a vertically disposed tubular float guide in said tank and depending from said top closure, both the lower end of said float guide and the upper portion thereof below said top closure being in open communication with said bleeder tank, a float in said guide, a pressure bleeder line extending from the upper portion of the discharge side of said pump easing into the upper portion of said bleeder tank, an air vent line having one end extending into the upper portion of said float guide, a valve casing secured to the end of said vent line within said guide, said valve casing having a diaphragm dividing said easing into an upper chamber in direct communication with said vent line and a lower chamber in direct communication with said float guide, a check valve in said upper chamber controlling said port to prevent back flow from said air vent, and a float controlled valve in said lower chamber controlling egress through said port upon the rise of said float.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4, further characterized by a suction pipe line extending from the lower portion of said bleeder tank to the inlet side of said pump.

6. A device as set forth in claim 4, further characterized by a suction pipe line extending from the lower por tion of said bleeder tank to the inlet side of said pump, a manually controlled valve in the pressure bleeder line from the exhaust side of the pump to the bleeder tank, and a similar valve in the suction pipe from the lower References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,560,754 Broido Nov. 10, 1925 2,124,681 Jauch et a1. July 26, 1938 2,510,190 Nicolette June 6, 1950 2,649,051 Ericson Aug. 18, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 667,430 Germany Nov. 11, 1938 

